I saw this quilt by Aneela Hoey over 9 months ago. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind – I just LOVE it!

So – here’s what I am proposing – a House and Tree Quilt–Along!That’s right – a tutorial for a block with either a house or a tree (or both) in it will be posted on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s during ‘off’ weeks of Project QUILTING. Why am I doing this to myself – I seriously LOVE this quilt and ‘house’ quilts have caught my eye for a long time.I figure if I do this during the off weeks of Project QUILTING I should get quite a few people to join along.

To make this work I need some volunteers to design quilt blocks and make up tutorials for them. If you have a blog – you can post your tutorial right on your own blog. Once your post is up, I’ll link the block from my website to yours and include a mini bio about you, the designer. If you don’t have your own blog, just send me a word file with the instructions and photo’s and I’ll post it on my blog with links to you and of course a mini bio about you, the designer.

I talked to Aneela Hooey about my idea since her quilt was my inspiration. She thought it was a great idea but has too many obligations this year to participate. BUT she did give me a link to a house and tree tutorial on her blog so you can always start with those and work your own design off there.

The block you design should be 12.5” x 12.5” (so it’s a finished 12” square). It has to have a house, a tree, or both incorporated somehow into the block but feel free to add other elements as well (see above inspiration quilt).

1/3/12 update***So - I have 16 designers and 16 blocks! Whoo Hoo! If you are really wishing you would have signed up for it because you have an amazing idea in mind I'd be happy to feature *bonus* blocks that a person could make to increase the size of their quilt or in replace of a block they're just feeling. Just contact me if you're still interested! Thanks to everyone that signed up so far! WOW!

Feel free to add your button to your blog as a reminder of the fun that's about to start!

Thanks to *this blog post* I made my very first button! Most people I meet tend to think I'm tech savvy but really - I have a few helpers up my sleeve...like Julie, my brother...even my husband! I'm starting to figure things out though - super exciting!

Anyone that brings a completed 'Home Sweet Home' Quilt to Show and Tell at the 2012 Quilt Retreat Getaway Weekend hosted by QuiltsbyBarb will receive a $10 gift certificate to the quilt shop at the retreat in honor of the 10th anniversary.

One $25 gift certificate to the quilt shop at the retreat will be given to a recipient of the viewer's choice award decided by the retreat attendees.

Additional qualifications for the above prize: The quilt must include on the front at least 12 of the 16 blocks from the Quilt Along. It must also include the blocks designed by Kim Lapacek, Diane Lapacek, and Barb Raisbeck.

Every year we do something a little different for Christmas – from Making Hats, Ugly Sweater Contests, or Boat Races. This year, in our yearly Christmas email that gave us instructions of what we need to bring to participate in the festivities this was written:

3) Each adult is requested to bring (1) one decorated beer bottle.

The bottles must be capped and full of beer.

So, the Thursday before Christmas we sent the girls to Grandma and Grandpa Lapacek’s for a sleepover and Jared and I got to work on our bottles.

Jared really wanted to use Pumpkin Teeth in his design so he started with that for his inspiration. I was inspired by some jewel cabochons that I found being stored in my breezeway. In the end Jared came up with this fantastic caterpillar. He took the stuffing out of one of the girls stuffed animals and thenMade a fantastic ‘face’ for the caterpillar with the pumpkin teeth. There is even a gold glittery one! Just imagine taking a swig out of that bottle and opening your eyes to this!

Here is a view of my bottle from all angles – I personally am super happy about how it turned out. Maybe I need to make a whole series of ‘bedazzled/bejeweled’ bottles. Both of my girls told me that ‘It was a winner in their contest’.

To see the other bottles brought to Christmas 2011 check out this LINK.

But I will show you the winners…

In 4th place:

In 3rd place:

In Second Place:And First Place:

I am excited to see what my relatives come up with for next years Christmas!

Christmas Toes!

Well – we made it through Christmas healthy but we’ve all come down with Pink Eye and colds since (except Papa). So – it’s been a lazy, uneventful week as we all just try to get healthy. This post is mostly going to be a slide show of some pictures I got during our different holiday celebrations…enjoy! Mouse Mask from Mahalo Pig Mask from Mahalo The girls and I in our masks from Mahalo (I had to wear Pips) Pips godparents may have spoiled the girls with toys this year. I have to admit though – they have already had HOURS of fun with their new kitchen set, food, and other toys (thanks Kim, Lee & Shaun!)

Shaun and I assembled the girls’ new kitchen – it’s amazing! I’ll have to do an entire blog post on it sometime so I can tell you about Cedi’s world famous restaurant that she runs now - “The World Buffet” is what she named it… “Hmmm…what do I do with this?” “Maybe if I suck on it I can see what’s inside…” Cedi just tore through her presents from Santa. I think she may have been slightly desensitized to presents after the 8+ celebrations we’d had over the last few weeks… I was so excited for santa to come that I was up a good hour before the kids were! I decided to bake a birthday cake for Jesus – a tradition my Grandma Van used to do every year – I think it’s time to bring it back!So, my cousin Paul isn’t really into kids but he really got into holding Pip. So cute! On the other hand, his brother Scott LOVES kdis – and boy to my kids love him. Cedi even cried when she found out he was getting married!

Six of the nine grandkids sporting their Packer gear (the babies weren’t in this photo). I think it helped the Packer’s kick some butt that night!

The girls all on one of their ‘bikes’. I have to say the girls got A LOT for Christmas this year. Probably too much. But I also have to say – they have spent HOURS playing without me by there side, imagining, creating, and enjoying their things. Sure – we’ve been under the weather this week – but we haven’t been bored.

PS. Pip figured out how to use her knees in her crawling motion today – it’s official – we have a crawler!

With the new year quickly approaching I’m revamping my ‘world’. My sewing room is completely torn up right now and is being expanded and reorganized to make room for my new ‘little’ long arm., my sewing machine (my baby) is in the shop for some regular cleaning and maintenance, AND I have big, grandeous (not sure how I should actually spell that…maybe it’s not a real word…) plans to redo my blogs to condense and streamline all of my interests.

One thing that is keeping me sane through all my ‘crafty world renovations’ is that I have a deadline – January 8th. January 8th is when the first challenge for Project QUILTING, Season 3 is posted and it’s when I have to be able to sew again. Which means, everything has to be reorganized, clean and operational. It also means – I have a lot of work to do.

In the middle of all this I need to get all of you super excited about the 3rd season of Project QUILTING. I don’t know about you but I am definitely excited! We took a rather long break between season 2 and 3 but in my defense…I did have a baby during that time.

Amazing quilts were created during Season 1 and Season 2 which means I have high expectations for you all (and myself) this season.

Things are going to change slightly. There will be no more judges winner or public winner – which means no more critiques on your piece, unless you post your quilt to the Flickr ‘Critique’ Site. There will still be prizes each week and at the end but this is how it’s going to work.

All prizes will be chosen by random drawing. Whoever enters a piece (following the guidelines of the challenge) will have their name written on a piece of paper and put in a hat (literally – a hat). Either Cedi or Capri, my two older daughters, will draw a name and that person will win the prize.

At the end of the season there will be grand prizes as well – each time you enter a challenge during the season your name will be put in the hat for the grand prize. Which means, the more challenges you enter, the bigger your chances are at winning the grand prize.

I already have a couple of great prizes lined up for this season.

Prizes (so Far)

For each challenge, I would like to offer a Gift Certificate of $30.00 off Quilting on a Baby size or larger. The Gift Certificate will be good for 60 days from the date of issue. The gift certificate is transferable so you can share it with a friend if you’d like.

I was browsing through Marcia’s Blog to find some examples of her fabulous quilting – there are so many! One that really caught my eye is shown above with her Triple Meandering Technique. I think it looks truly fabulous!

Kym from FabricFascination would also like to offer you all 10% off all fabrics in her etsy shop using the coupon code: KIMSCRAFTY

I’m still looking for sponsors so email me at: lapaceksorchard {at} gmail {dot} com if you’re interested in being one. There are some ‘perks’ including a button on my blog and being mentioned in blog posts and via my newsletter.

Also – I need your help to make this season a success! Please help me spread the word about the start of Season 3 – on your blog, facebook, twitter, guilds, to friends/family that quilt. Anyone, everyone you know! Project QUILTING is not just for experienced quilters. It’s a fantastic way to challenge yourself, create something you never imagined before AND complete a project in just one week! In fact, our second place winner of last season was a fairly new quilter – it was amazing to see how her work progressed as the challenges continued. She even went on to be featured on Generation Q (a fabulous new quilting emagazine) because of a project Project QUILTING inspired.

If you have any ideas for me on how to spread the word about this challenge please let me know! I’d also be happy to answer any questions for you if you wanted to do an ‘interview’ post on your blog or wherever.

Thanks in advance for helping me make Season 3 another quilting success!

Schedule for Season 3

(each challenge is posted at NOON and is due by NOON the following Sunday):

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas before I shut my computer down for the next few days. My littles are tucked into bed with instructions that Santa won’t come unless they are sleeping. After the last few days of celebrating they’ve had I can’t believe that they will be up long.I’m sitting here enjoying a nice hot cup of Friendship Tea as I blog. I have probably shared this in the past but if you don’t remember – here’s the simple recipe. (also can make a beautiful last minute gift – just put it in a mason jar with a ribbon tied around the lid…)

Friendship Tea has become a ‘comfort’ drink for me. It reminds me of childhood – being warm and snuggly, under a blanket and enjoying a good book.

We still have a few Christmas celebrations left but so far things are going nice and smoothly (knock on wood).

We’ve had too many Christmas’s that the girls have laid on my lap and let me open their presents from Santa for them because they were just too sick. Really, really hoping and praying that they wake up super excited tomorrow morning! They are at such a wonderful age for all the Christmas magic of the season…except Pip – but she really does enjoy eating the wrapping paper!

I never expected the movies to arrive before Christmas since I asked for the ‘Free Shipping’ method. But, much to my surprise – two of the movies arrived today! It was a Christmas Miracle :) Jared and I are watching the Muppets tonight and I’m sure I’ll be watching it again with the girls tomorrow night while Papa is at the Packer Game with Uncle Brian.

Pip still only has her one tooth…but she’s been such a happy adorable baby. Also – so tolerant of the crazy schedule and rocked to sleep naps in the car seat. We are so blessed to have these wonderful babes. I won’t leave you in suspense too long – I’ll be blogging more about this next week. I’ll leave you with yes – that’s a bedazzled beer bottle full of High Life AND a caterpillar/pumpkin teeth beer bottle full of High Life. AND yes – it is for one of our Christmas celebrations…

And with that – Merry Christmas to everyone! I’m signing off the computer for a day or so and just taking the time to enjoy my family and this wonderful holiday!

We have also celebrated our Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Lapacek. Earlier, Grandma Diane had made Gingerbread houses for the girls – they were very proud of their creations (Capri especially proud of her mailbox). One of our traditions for this celebration is to enjoy Grasshoppers – the adults are ‘special’ and the girls are alcohol free. The girls sure love these delicious minty treats!

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